Eric G. Hall
PAF Staff College | |
|---|---|
| In office March 1960 – December 1961 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 12 October 1922 Rangoon, British rule in Burma |
| Died | June 17, 1998 (aged 75) Rockville, Maryland, United States |
| Spouse |
Marjorie May Hall (died 2003) |
| Children | 2 |
| Battles/wars |
|
Notably, during the
Early life
Hall was born on 12 October 1922 into a
Exhausted and ill with blistered bug bitten feet, he wore out his shoes after traveling through the jungle on foot for weeks from
Personal life
He was married to Marjorie May Hall and they had two children, a daughter Gillian Hall born on 1 December 1949 and son Clive Hall born on 5 May 1953.[3]
Marjorie May Hall died in 2003 and is buried with Eric at the Gate of Heaven Cemetery (Silver Spring, Maryland).[9]
Royal Indian Air Force career
After being released from the hospital for his injuries caused by the weeks long trek through the jungle, he enlisted in the
Accidents
On 12 April 1947, Flying Officer Eric and Cadet Harrison took off in a Tiger Moth II and crash landed 6m South East from Jodhpur after an engine failure.[10]
Pakistan Air Force career
After the partition of
Eric was appointed as the Assistant Commandant of
Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
Leading up to the outbreak of war in August 1965, Group Captain Hall was in command of PAF Base Chaklala. Knowing that war was imminent after the failure of the Pakistan Army's Operation Gibraltar in Jammu and Kashmir (state), he was aware of the Pakistan Air Forces lack of specialist aircraft. Hall brought up the idea of converting C-130 Hercules transports into heavy bombers.[12] With some modifications, the transport aircraft were now able to carry up to 13,000 kg (28,000 lb) of explosive ordinance.
After testing the bombers' efficiency, Hall volunteered to lead the first bombing mission over a strategically vital bridge in Kathua, Jammu and Kashmir on 11 September 1965. The mission was fraught with danger as the unarmoured transport-turned-bomber was highly vulnerable to Indian anti-aircraft guns.[13] However, the mission's ultimately successful outcome prompted the Pakistani high command to authorize 13 more strategic bombing runs with converted C-130s, including the precision striking of Indian heavy guns at Attari, on the banks of the Bambawali-Ravi-Bedian Canal. Hall was awarded the Sitara-e-Jurat by the Government of Pakistan in 1965 for his innovative idea.[14]
Sitara-e-Jurat
The Sitara-e-Jurat citation reads:
CITATION
GROUP CAPTAIN ERIC GORDON HALL (PAK/2768)"Gp Capt Eric Gordon Hall in his capacity as Station Commander, Chaklala played a very vital role during the war with India. All operations were conducted very successfully under exemplary guidance and inspiring leadership of Gp Capt Eric Gordon Hall. No task was too hazardous for him. To set an example, he personally flew and led several operational missions that kept the morale of his officers and men at an exceptionally high level. For his courage and example beyond the call of duty, Gp Capt Eric Gordon Hall is awarded SJ."
Post war
After the war, Hall was appointed as Assistant Commander-in-Chief (Training) at the Air Headquarters in Peshawar.[3]
Hall later commanded
Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
During the
Air attaché to Washington
Hall served as Air attaché to Washington from 1972 to October 1974.[18]
Hall was a distinguished guest and assisted in the graduation ceremony of the 21st Advanced Class Graduation at the The Judge Advocate General's Legal Center and School on 1 June 1973.[19]
Commandant PAF Staff College
In October 1974, Hall succeeded Air Commodore Shamshul Huda Shah as Commandant of the
Director General PCAA
After retiring from the Pakistan Air Force, Hall was appointed as Director General of the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority by Prime Minister of Pakistan Zulfikar Ali Bhutto as a re-employed BPS-21 grade officer of the Government of Pakistan.[20]
On 11 May 1976, Hall met with Dr. Emil Hinek in Karachi, who was from the aviation department of the Hungarian Ministry of Transport and Postal Affairs, they signed an agreement to start regular flights between Budapest and Karachi.[21]
Hall relinquished charge on the afternoon of 6 March 1978.[22]
Business career
Afterwards, he ran an export-import company in Karachi for a year.[1]
Hall moved to the United States with his family in 1980 and settled in the Washington, D.C. area later beccoming a resident of Gaithersburg, Maryland. From August 1982 to 1995, he was the President of Hall Enterprises, a business he started with his wife, which imported-exported Pakistani furniture, giftware, and military spare parts. In addition to that, he had a shop which specialized in ceramics, jewelry and gifts in Ellicott City, Maryland.[1]
Death
Hall was hospitalized after a stroke and died on 17 June 1998 at Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center. He was buried at the Gate of Heaven Cemetery (Silver Spring, Maryland). He was survived by his wife Marjorie, two children, and sister Cindy Hollyer.[1]
Awards and decorations
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| PAF GD(P) Badge RED (More than 3000 Flying Hours) | |||
| Sitara-e-Jurat
(Star of Courage)
|
Sitara-e-Pakistan
(Star of Pakistan) (SPk) | ||
| Pakistan Tamgha
1947 |
Tamgha-e-Jamhuria
(Republic Commemoration Medal) 1956 |
Tamgha-e-Diffa
(General Service Medal) 1. 2. | |
| Sitara-e-Harb 1965 War
(War Star 1965) |
Sitara-e-Harb 1971 War
(War Star 1971) |
Tamgha-e-Jang 1965 War
(War Medal 1965) |
Tamgha-e-Jang 1971 War
(War Medal 1971) |
Foreign decorations
| Foreign Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
 UK
|
1939-1945 Star
|
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| Burma Star | 
| |
| Defence Medal | 
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War Medal 1939-1945
|
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| Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal | 
| |
References
- ^ ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
- ^ https://making-history.ca/2020/06/17/two-weeks-in-january-1945/ RAF Base Ranchi - September 1944]
- ^ a b c d e f g h Azam Qadri; Muhammad Ali (2014). Sentinels in the Sky: A Saga of PAF's Gallant Air Warriors. PAF Book Club, Islamabad. pp. 109–112.
- ^ "Minorities in armed forces". The Express Tribune. 26 February 2022. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
- ^ a b "Tribute to Pakistan Air Force heroes". The Nation. 6 September 2018. Archived from the original on 9 September 2019. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
- ^ Appeals, United States Court of; Circuit, District of Columbia (31 December 1969). "864 F2d 868 Hall v. D McLaughlin". p. 868.
- ISBN 978-81-7304-641-4.
- ^ a b Halli, Sultan M. (December 1998). "PAF'S GALLANT CHRISTIAN HEROES CARRY QUAID'S MESSAGE". Defence Journal. Archived from the original on 11 December 2003. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
- ^ "Marjorie May Halls burial site". Find a Grave.
- ^ "Accidents and Incidents DG545".
- ^ "Assistant Commandants PAF Staff College". Archived from the original on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ "Group Captain Colonel Eric Gordon Hall (SJ)". Pakistan Defence. Archived from the original on 4 March 2012. Retrieved 27 June 2010.
- ^ Hoodbhoy, Pervez (12 February 2002). "The Wages of Obedience: PAF Pilots". Chowk: India and Pakistan. chowk.com. Archived from the original on 14 December 2007. Retrieved 27 June 2010.
- Jang Group of Newspapers. Archived from the originalon 3 March 2016. Retrieved 27 June 2010.
- ^ Defence and Media. 1991.
- ^ Pakistan News Digest. Vol. 18. 28 April 1970. p. 11.
- ISBN 978-1-4931-6188-1.
- ^ Annual Report. Judge Advocate General's School, U.S. Army. 1972. p. 123.
- ^ The Army Lawyer. Judge Advocate General's School. June 1973. p. 32.
- ^ Pakistan (1978). The Gazette of Pakistan. p. 174.
- ^ Summary of World Broadcasts. British Broadcasting Corporation. 1976. p. A-29.
- ^ Pakistan (1978). The Gazette of Pakistan. p. 166.
